WWF & THAI UNION EUROPE PARTNERSHIP PROGRESS REPORT 2016

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 1 Welcome to the first progress report of the partnership FOREWORD between WWF and Thai Union Europe (TUE). This partnership is part of WWF’s engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including several influential retailers When Thai Union Europe signed a partnership with WWF and producers in the UK and Europe, who have a shared in October 2014, we knew we were embarking on a long and vision of developing sustainable fisheries worldwide. challenging journey towards more sustainable fisheries. Today, one billion people rely on fish as their primary source At the same time, I personally thought it was our responsibility of protein and over 250 million people earn a living from the to take the lead on that. fishing industry. But marine fish stocks are being pushed to 2015 was an important milestone for Thai Union. For the first their limits. time in the Group’s history, we defined a vision and a mission The world needs to do everything possible to source seafood supported by six values applicable to the Thai Union Group, in more sustainable and responsible ways. That’s why WWF- worldwide. Thai Union’s global vision is to be the world’s most UK and WWF France are working in partnership with TUE to trusted seafood leader, caring for our resources to nurture shift fisheries production towards sustainability across their generations to come. Sustainability is thus fully embedded into whole supply chain. Thai Union’s culture and will continue to drive our roadmap. The WWF and TUE partnership focuses on careful As we grow, we collaborate to bring responsible practices to management of fish stocks and the marine ecosystem, with our industry, to be the leading agent of change in order to clear targets for step-wise improvement, especially for tuna create a more sustainable and cleaner seafood eco-system. fisheries in Africa. Our long-term goal is to ensure that all the Our new vision, mission and values, applicable worldwide, seafood sold in Europe by TUE is Marine Stewardship give us additional responsibilities. This is the reason why this Council certified. partnership with WWF, embracing the MSC principles, is all the more important to us. There’s no quick fix in a programme of this kind, but we’ve made a good start by establishing transparency and enabling Through this report, I am pleased to share with you the first conditions for the next stage of progress. While there is DS SD milestones of this journey. still much to do to improve both environmental and social standards in the fisheries that are the focus of the programme, important practical actions have already been taken. Elisabeth Fleuriot This progress report provides an evaluation of our work in our CEO, Thai Union Europe first year of partnership (2014-2015), and looks forward to the next steps in the journey.

DS SD Glyn Davies Executive Director of Global Programmes, WWF-UK

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 2 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 3 THAI Thai Union Group is the world’s BACKGROUND number one processor of shelf- UNION stable tuna products and a leading global seafood processor. EUROPE Its subsidiary, Thai Union Europe (TUE), is the parent company for several prominent European seafood brands including John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar and RugenFisch.

TUE’s tuna fleet is based out of Ghana and the company employs some 7,900 people WHY WWF WORKS across production sites in France, Germany, Ghana, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, WITH BUSINESS Portugal, the Seychelles and the United Kingdom, as well as sales offices in Belgium, Corporate partnerships are a fundamental part of WWF’s France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the strategy to work with business on sustainable solutions that Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom help people and nature thrive. We work with companies to and the United States of America. develop better ways of doing business that help protect the natural habitats and landscapes they source from. As a leading company in the market, TUE has publicly stated its commitment We focus our efforts on the commodities and sectors that to sustainable fishing – both directly to will have the biggest impact on the planet and encourage preserve stocks, and further to act as an companies to take a risk-based approach to managing, agent for change in its sector. protecting and restoring natural assets. We also help companies engage their staff, customers and other Responsible management and sustainability stakeholders in global conservation issues. in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors is critical to TUE because they only trade in Our approach is collaborative and constructive but seafood products. In recent years TUE has also challenging, and we maintain a tight focus on the taken a number of practical steps on their conservation benefits our partnerships are designed to sustainability journey. One of the most deliver. We bring people together, working across sectors important was in October 2014, when WWF with investors, consumer groups and policy makers to drive UK, WWF France and TUE entered into a the systemic change we need to achieve a greener economy. Seafood Charter partnership.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 5 WWF: OUR GLOBAL SEAFOOD CHARTER INDEPENDENT CERTIFICATION:

Fish is one of the world’s most precious natural food resources and MSC AND ASC sustainably caught, MSC certified seafood is a renewable source of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is the highest level protein. But the world’s oceans are under severe strain from threats for seafood producers to reach. The MSC is an independent not-for- such as overfishing, climate change and pollution. There is growing profit organisation which sets credible standards for sustainable concern amongst businesses, NGOs and academics about the fishing and supply chain traceability. Fisheries undergo rigorous sustainability of fisheries. With hundreds of millions of people relying science-based assessments to prove they can meet these standards and those that do are permitted to display the MSC ecolabel on on seafood globally, the world needs to source seafood responsibly their products. from sustainable sources. Aquaculture products have a similar certification scheme for farms called the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Companies that sign up to the Seafood certification scheme was set up in 1997 Charter are making a commitment to by WWF in collaboration with other embed business practices that will support stakeholders, including large industry sustainable management of natural partners, followed by the Aquaculture resources, and work throughout their Stewardship Council (ASC) certification supply chains to achieve the MSC standard scheme in 2010. WWF uses these for fisheries they are sourcing from. standards globally as the benchmarks The Seafood Charter is based on global to rate the level of sustainability/ WWF principles for working with responsibility that a fishery or farm businesses to ensure a sustainable achieves. They provide a framework for seafood portfolio. improvement in the water and demonstrate impactful change in the ecosystem, both of which are core to WWF’s work on seafood. They also enable a consistent global approach, used by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and companies alike, to reduce impacts on the environment. Where seafood businesses commit to source from certified sustainable sources, WWF encourages them to sign up to our Seafood Charter, which provides a framework for the journey towards sustainability. By championing better production, equitable resource governance and ecosystem integrity, the Charter aims to help deliver our vision for healthy and thriving Aquatic systems.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 6 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 7 The Seafood Charter commits TUE to: The Seafood Charter jointly commits TUE and WWF to: THE WWF AND TUE SEAFOOD CHARTER • Ensure full traceability of ALL its seafood products. • Apply best practice and scientific Initially running for four years (2014-2018), our partnership seeks to knowledge to improve the sustainability • Be actively involved in the global of TUE’s seafood supply chain and create improve sustainability across all species by working towards MSC/ fight against Illegal, Unregulated and demonstrable improvements through the ASC certification across the whole TUE supply chain. Unreported (IUU) fishing and be able to delivery of projects. demonstrate best practice is put in place that ensures no IUU products enter its • Contribute to a future in which supply chain. responsible fisheries and aquaculture For fisheries which are not yet at the The partnership also aims to engage operations thrive in healthy ecosystems, standard for certification, TUE and consumers in the importance of seafood • Develop a sustainable procurement benefiting people, businesses and species WWF will actively promote and engage in sustainability and ultimately to increase the plan to include promotion of MSC and that depend on them. formal improvement projects (known as number of consumers purchasing MSC/ASC ASC certified products and engage in Fishery Improvement Projects or Fishery certified products. improvement projects for TUE seafood • Help safeguard valuable marine and Conservation Projects), working together to to meet MSC and ASC standards for aquatic ecosystems, contributing to the The first year of the partnership focused on bring their status up to MSC standards. potential certification. long-term viability of seafood supply that achieving a number of ‘milestones’ to ensure global food security depends on. The same approach applies to aquaculture that TUE was operating in line with the best • Create and participate in projects that products, based on the ASC standards. To industry practices and standards. TUE is will improve fisheries so that they can achieve this, WWF will work with TUE now on a Seafood Charter journey, which demonstrate that they have reduced their to develop a tailored framework to move demonstrates the company’s increased impact on the environment. TUE’s supply chain along a path to achieve transparency, knowledge and commitment. • Promote awareness and transparency certification. about sustainable fishing and make This long-term objective will be supported sustainability information, projects and by TUE leading the sector in advocating policies easily accessible to customers and for better management of fisheries and stakeholders. compliance to fisheries regulations, • Engage with authorities and promote and opposing illegal, unregulated and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving unreported (IUU) fishing activities. international or regional fisheries management and regulations that will secure healthy marine ecosystems To achieve the aims of the Seafood through responsible fishing and Charter partnership, both aquaculture practices. organisations will follow a journey • Ensure all new seafood product ranges (Figure 1) that has been developed over come from sustainable sources or many years and in a number of WWF sources that are in a credible step-wise partnerships across the world1. improvement process.

1 For more information about the WWF Seafood Charter please refer to: wwf.org.uk/seafoodpartnerships

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 8 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 9 FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 THE JOURNEY FOR A BUSINESS HOW A SEAFOOD COMPANY’S PRODUCT TOWARDS ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE RANGE MIGHT CHANGE ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN. JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABILITY.

CONTRACT SIGNED & SCOPE DEFINED

INDIVIDUAL SPECIES SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS

FISHERIES / FARMS REQUIRE IMPROVEMENTS FISHERIES / FARMS IN IMPROVEMENT WWF ANALYSIS OF PROJECTS OR MSC/ASC RESULTS & ACTIVITIES REPORTING SEAFOOD PROCUREMENT CERTIFIED CHARTER STRATEGY SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD

IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING & SPECIES STRATEGY & EVALUATION WORK PLANNING

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 10 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 11 CLARUS CHU / WWF CHU © CLARUS PROGRESS TOWARDS SEAFOOD CHARTER COMMITMENTS

Overleaf is a summary of the commitments made by TUE for the first year of the partnership. On subsequent pages we look in more detail at what the WWF-TUE partnership has achieved so far, detailing the highlights and the actions that have been taken and explaining why any remain outstanding.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 12 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 13 TUE’S PROGRESS TOWARDS COMPLETED SEAFOOD CHARTER COMMITMENTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT ONGOING

SEAFOOD CHARTER COMMITMENT FIRST STAGE ACTIVITIES SEAFOOD CHARTER COMMITMENT FIRST STAGE ACTIVITIES

WORK STREAM A: SUPPLY CHAIN C. ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVEMENT

Apply best practice and scientific knowledge to TUE provide data and access on all Engage with authorities and advocate to TUE and WWF jointly develop advocacy improve the sustainability of TUE supply chains supply chains for analysis. everybody to ensure improvements in plans aimed at encouraging all relevant and create demonstrable improvements through international or regional fisheries management stakeholders to agree with or implement Develop with WWF an effective the delivery of projects. and regulations that will secure healthy marine measures which will make the fisheries monitoring system for the partnership. ecosystems through responsible fishing and management efforts more robust. Develop a sustainable procurement plan to Develop a meaningful work plan to drive aquaculture practices. include promotion of MSC and ASC certified improvements in sustainability of the products and engage in improvement projects for supply chain. TUE seafood to meet MSC and ASC standards for D. TRANSPARENCY AND ENGAGEMENT potential certification. Identify priority fisheries for pre- assessment against the MSC standard. Promote awareness and transparency about Complete the audit of the International Create and participate in projects that will sustainable fishing and make sustainability Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) improve fisheries so that they can demonstrate Identify and agree TUE activities as a information, projects and policies easily and share results with WWF. that they have reduced their impact on the participant of the Areas Beyond National accessible to customers and stakeholders. environment. Jurisdiction project in Ghana. Assess the number of purse seine vessels in the tuna supply chains that are on the Ensure all new seafood product ranges come WWF visits fisheries and potential ISSF Proactive Vessel Register (PVR), and from sustainable sources or sources that are in a project sites. develop/implement a plan to ensure that all credible step-wise improvement process. are on the PVR by end of 2015.

B. TRACEABILITY AND LEGALITY E. CONTRIBUTING TO WIDER CONSERVATION

Ensure full traceability of all TUE seafood Analyse the Vessel Monitoring System/ Contribute to a future in which responsible Provide direct funding to WWF’s Coastal products. Automatic Identification System/ fisheries and aquaculture operations thrive East Africa programme, which works Environmental Monitoring System in healthy ecosystems, benefiting people, to ensure that Indian Ocean tuna is a TUE to be involved in the global fight against capabilities of the fleet and if required businesses and species that depend on them. sustainable food source for both the coastal Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) implement a work-plan for improvement. population of Africa and international trade fishing and be able to demonstrate that best Help safeguard valuable marine and aquatic markets, thereby helping to ensure food practice is put in place that ensures no IUU Ensure that all vessels are flagged to an ecosystems, contributing to the long-term security and more sustainable livelihoods products enter its supply chain. appropriate flag state. viability of seafood supply that global food for millions of people. security depends on.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 14 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 15 A. SUPPLY CHAIN ACTIONS • TUE shared all supply chain data • In line with International Seafood including vessels, species, catch methods Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and catch areas with WWF-UK, enabling requirements, TUE has committed to species assessments to be conducted across ensuring that all of their own vessels the whole TUE supply chain. Action plans are registered on the ISSF Pro-active for improving the sustainability of species Vessel Register (PVR) and to only are under development, with the priority source tuna from purse seine vessels focus on high risk species. Priority fisheries that are on the PVR. The PVR provides have been identified for implementation validated information regarding a vessel’s of fishery improvement or conservation implementation of specific best practices projects and TUE has taken key steps and commitments2. The PVR means that forward in discussing the projects with all tuna purse seine vessels in the TUE stakeholders. supply chain are now independently audited against criteria including, • TUE provided real-time access to the data shark-finning, presence of independent of their six fishing vessels to a third observers and vessel identification. party consultancy company, Navama, which monitored all movements of TUE- • WWF and TUE have planned to complete owned vessels. Vessel data was cross- a series of joint visits to TUE’s checked with the movement of the vessels, main processing sites as part of the contributing to WWF’s Transparent Seas development of improvement plans. The programme (www.transparentseas.org). trips will provide a platform to engage key This programme is working globally to stakeholders and work towards project make fishing more transparent and to implementation. These trips will continue ensure that the seafood reaching markets is throughout the partnership. responsibly sourced and fully traceable to legal sources.

International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and WWF, promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and Sustainable fish stocks give the industry Fisheries in transition promoting ecosystem health. TUE (then known as MW Brands) was amongst the hope for the future. The partnership aims WWF works on fisheries in transition founding tuna companies in 2009. ISSF is committed to improving the sustainability to deliver improvements across the supply towards sustainability all over the of global tuna fisheries by developing and implementing verifiable, science-based chain that will ensure TUE is actively world through an established process. practices, commitments and international management measures that result in tuna procuring its seafood raw materials from The end goal of these projects is to fisheries that meet the MSC certification standard without conditions. the most sustainable sources possible. ultimately achieve MSC. For more Visit iss-foundation.org to learn more. information see: wwf.org.uk/fisheriesintransition 2 For more information on the ISSF PVR see http://iss-foundation.org/pvr-database/

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 16 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 17 B. TRACEABILITY AND LEGALITY

ACTIONS • An independent, third-party IUU/ • The accuracy of the TUE ‘can tracker’ traceability risk assessment was tool has been further improved and completed across TUE priority supply all consumers can track their branded chains. This study reported against the seafood products back to the vessel from WWF traceability principles and the which it was sourced. British Retail Consortium IUU advisory • During the Brussels Global Seafood note3. This provides the partnership with Expo in April 2015, TUE participated an assessment for each species plus any with other businesses in a WWF event to mitigation measures that could further discuss and develop a pathway towards decrease the risks in source countries and increased traceability in the sector the supply chain. through discussions called the ‘Global • TUE has committed to third party Dialogue’4. This process is being led by audits for all its major tuna suppliers WWF and the Global Food Traceability against its own sourcing policy. This Centre. programme will be rolled out during • In October 2015 TUE contributed to an 2016. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated event in Brussels entitled ‘Combatting (IUU) fishing has a significant negative • TUE has gained the MSC Chain of IUU: understanding the EU card impact on both ecosystems and livelihoods. Custody certification for its tuna process.’ This event brought together An estimated 20% of the global catch processing plants in Seychelles, Ghana industry leaders, EU officials and comes from IUU fishing activity, with a and Portugal. This means that TUE other key stakeholders to improve global value of US$10-23 billion a year. was subject to independent, third party understanding of the EU’s carding While imports to the EU are controlled verification of those procedures and process and its impacts on developing and regulated, there has been recent policies which ensure traceability of its countries. This work supports the global speculation that IUU seafood has entered products from vessel to can for these initiative, Oceans 55, which in Europe is the EU market. Traceability is therefore supply chains. focused on IUU. critical in ensuring the responsible sourcing and legality of seafood. However, implementation of full traceability remains a challenge in many fisheries and supply chains all over the world. WWF supports 3 The current best practice for UK seafood companies is the BRC Advisory note on reducing the risk of IUU: wwf.org.uk/advisorynotefish initiatives to improve traceability in the 4 For more information on the Global Dialogue visit wwf.org.uk/globalframeworkfish seafood sector. 5 For more information about the work of Oceans 5 in Europe see: wwf.org.uk/oceans5europe

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 18 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 19 C. ADVOCATING FOR ACTIONS D. TRANSPARENCY ACTIONS • WWF developed a corporate advocacy • As required of its participation IMPROVEMENT plan to address the current limitations AND ENGAGEMENT with the International Seafood of tuna management. This will involve Sustainability Foundation reaching out to key stakeholders to call for (ISSF), TUE participates annually By working together to advocate for change, the sustainable harvesting of tuna in our Sustainable seafood can only truly become in an independent audit of the ISSF businesses and NGOs can be a catalyst supply chains. the norm if the public understands the issue conservation measures. The purpose and demands it from brands and retailers, of this audit is to assess company for improvement. WWF works globally • Through its membership of ISSF, TUE who in turn must act transparently and compliance with a suite of more than on fisheries governance and an important has called on several governments to responsibly. It is also crucial that seafood twenty conservation measures, which component of the Seafood Charter is to take more drastic measures at the level company employees feel invested in include no shark finning in the supply ensure that change impacts more than just of Regional Fisheries Management initiatives of this kind. chain, 100% observer coverage on tuna one company’s supply chain. Our activities Organisations to impose better purse seine vessels and skipper training. with TUE have reached many high level management of Fish Aggregating Devices stakeholders. (FADs). TUE is taking action to manage • Three engagement days have been and reduce the number of FADs that held at John West, TUE/Petit Navire and are in their supply chain by discussing WWF-UK offices. These aimed to help the need for limits with the RFMOs all employees feel part of the Seafood and working with suppliers to have a Charter journey that TUE and WWF are maximum limit. going on together. • TUE supported the Ghanaian • WWF and TUE have published government in developing and information on both organisations’ implementing a National Fisheries websites6 to announce the partnership Management Plan, which is one of and provide transparency. We will report the critical steps to help improve the annually on progress in the form of a CERTIFIED management of the country’s fisheries SUSTAINABLE publicly available report, like this one. resources. SEAFOOD In addition partnership progress will be assessed annually by an independent • TUE attended meetings with the MSC third party audit. Seychelles Fisheries Authority, the www.msc.org Indian Ocean Tuna Commission • WWF and TUE have met with key Secretariat and local NGOs to retailers in the UK and Europe to inform them of their intentions and discuss the programme. commitments. TUE’s senior management has also informed the Government of the Seychelles that the company has agreed to support some of the initiatives which will be taken forward as part of the tuna Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP).

6 WWF website on partnership: wwf.org.uk/johnwest TUE webpage on partnership: john-west.co.uk/sustainability

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 20 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 21 E. CONTRIBUTING TO WIDER CONSERVATION ACTIONS • In October 2015, 16 delegates from Task Force was established and is the Coastal East Africa region (Kenya, currently guiding technical discussions Mozambique and Tanzania) toured for final adoption of the Regional MTC Ghana. These delegates were from the Protocol (so far 13 from a total of 24 Fisheries Departments from the three articles have been agreed and forwarded countries, representatives from artisanal for adoption by the next SWIOFC session). fisheries and from WWF national offices • WWF co-hosted the first CEA Regional from the CEA region. The aim was to Seafood Conference in November share lessons from the participating 2015 in Kenya, alongside the Kenya Fish countries on the implementation of tuna Processors and Exporters Association fisheries management and conservation (AFIPEK). The conference brought measures, with a view to strengthening together businesses and investors in long-term collaboration. the CEA seafood sector to find common Through the partnership, TUE provides solutions to the challenges facing the direct funding to WWF’s Coastal East • We have developed an effective and industry. Africa (CEA) programme7, with specific harmonised data collection system for CEA artisanal tuna fisheries in close aims for improving the management of • The WWF CEA team has engaged collaboration with fishing communities artisanal tuna fisheries in the South West the governments of Kenya and and fisheries institutions, which is being Indian Ocean, including: Tanzania, calling on them to ratify the piloted in Tanzania and Kenya. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) • Assessing the size of the catch and its Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA)8. overall importance with regard to the • In Tanzania WWF carried out The agreement is a powerful and cost- management of the overall tuna stock in preliminary capacity-building to effective tool to combat IUU fishing but the Indian Ocean. improve data collection and statistics for artisanal fisheries, involving local fishing has only been ratified by five African • Assessing the level of current communities, in collaboration with countries so far (Gabon, Mauritius, sustainable management practices and Tanzania Deep Sea Fisheries Authority, Mozambique, Seychelles and Somalia), making recommendations to improve and the Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland most with advocacy and technical management practices. Fisheries Departments. Equipment has support from WWF. This is a critical step been acquired and distributed to the in reducing IUU and only a handful of • Assessing the importance of the artisanal relevant entities for piloting the collection ratifications are needed for this to come tuna fishery for local livelihoods and food system. into force – the PSMA will come into force security and examining opportunities for once it has been ratified by 25 countries. value chain addition. • With WWF technical and financial support, the 7th Session of the South The work is critical in supporting greater West Indian Ocean Fisheries food security and sustainable resources Commission (SWIOFC), held in October for millions of people. This work will also 2015 in Maputo (Mozambique) formally contribute to the management of migratory endorsed the processes for establishing 7 For more information on WWF’s Coastal East Africa tuna in the Indian Ocean with the provision Regional Minimum Terms and Conditions programme please refer to: wwf.org.uk/cea of reliable data to the Indian Ocean Tuna 8 The PSMA is a powerful legal instrument in the global (MTC) for granting fishing access; and Commission. fight against illegal fishing that can prevent illegally a Regional SWIO Fisheries Accord to caught fish from entering the market through ports further strengthen SWIOFC. An SWIOFC around the world. See reference section for more information.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 22 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 23 AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION The Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the World Bank endorsed a project to improve the management of tuna fisheries in ocean waters for which no one specific nation has ownership or governance – the ABNJ project. The goal is to reduce illegal catches of these far-ranging, highly-prized, and globally consumed fish. With this backing, $27 million of grant funds will be used to leverage an estimated $148 million to begin work on land and in the ocean. WWF is working with the GEF, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), governments, the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, the fishing industry, and other relevant stakeholders on the ABNJ project. TUE liaised with the team running the project and agreed to facilitate access to two of its vessels for the purpose of installing the ETHICAL CODE OF CONDUCT necessary Electronic Monitoring System to conduct the scientific work as described by the scope of the project. For more information: wwf.org.uk/oceanfrontier In September 2015 Thai Union Group The Code of Conduct is being rolled out launched its new Business Ethics and across Thai Union’s global operations and Labour Code of Conduct9. It will be rolled is available in 19 languages. In addition, out by the end of 2016 to cover all member Thai Union provided Code of Conduct companies, including TUE, as well as training to over 600 seafood and non- critical suppliers. seafood suppliers at their first major supplier event in March 2016. In Europe, suppliers required to sign the Code of Conduct will include fish suppliers In 2016 TUE will also start a third as well as suppliers of ingredients, cans, party auditing process of some of its cardboard, services, detergents and fish suppliers. The auditing company, chemicals, plus shipping companies, co- Poseidon10, will conduct a desk-based packers and some machinery providers. Supplier Risk Assessment on 25 supplying From 2016, Thai Union will also assess companies and physically check 14 vessels whether a more specific code of conduct for compliance with TUE’s fish sourcing addressing working conditions on vessels policy, regulations on IUU fishing, ISSF is required, and may develop a code of requirements, Thai Union’s Business Ethics conduct specifically for wild-caught fish and Labour Code of Conduct, and TUE’s suppliers. quality and food safety standards.

9 Available at wwf.org.uk/tuecodeofconduct 10 For more information about Poseidon, please refer to: www.consult-poseidon.com

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 24 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 25 Our key activities and objectives for o flag states are those which are D. TRANSPARENCY AND ENGAGEMENT the future are listed below. considered to be of ‘integrity’; ▪ TUE to share the ISSF compliance o traceability is to vessel and certificate and associated report following A. SUPPLY CHAIN implementation of the EU IUU NEXT the annual audit with WWF-UK and ▪ Annual species assessments to continue Regulation; discuss the results. If there is any non- monitoring of the TUE supply chains. o there is increased supply chain compliance found then corrective action ▪ Complete the development of action plans transparency. plans will be proposed and implemented. for improving the sustainability rating of ▪ TUE will complete random audits each relevant supply chain/species. This STEPS B. TRACEABILITY AND LEGALITY on the purse seine vessels within the will include establishing improvement ▪ Following the results of the IUU supply chain to ensure that suppliers projects in fisheries and farms to help risk assessment and traceability are following their sourcing policy and them achieve the standards of the MSC 2016 and beyond benchmarking, implement action ensuring they are on the PVR every year and ASC. plans if it is identified that mitigation during the species assessment. ▪ Complete an observation visit to one of measures could reduce risks of IUU ▪ TUE to provide data to third party, During year one of our partnership, TUE three priority sites (Seychelles, Ghana or entering the supply chain further or if any Navama, to verify information on the made significant progress towards greater Portugal). improvements to the traceability systems TUE vessels. transparency and sustainability. We’re now are identified. ▪ Reinforce the Standard Operation concentrating on the following activities ▪ Continue to discuss the work on Procedures on board tuna vessels ▪ Participate in future discussions and and objectives to continue the journey. Transparent Seas programme together and implement additional measures dialogues, such as the WWF and GFTC with WWF and Navama. We’ll track progress towards these that contribute to the reduction of Global Traceability dialogue and the objectives and goals by monitoring a set Endangered, Threatened and Protected Oceans 5 coalition. ▪ WWF to cross check the vessels with the of key performance indicators and the (ETP) species caught and promoting these PVR and be able to provide analysis on partnership will be audited each year by an measures to the wider seafood industry. C. ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVEMENT compliance with this commitment. independent, third-party consultant. We’ll ▪ Increase the number of products that are report on our progress annually. ▪ Investigate methods to improve selectivity ▪ Actively engage in policy advocacy of in order to minimise the number of tuna RFMO management contributing MSC/ASC labelled or engaged in a FIP or juveniles of large tropical tuna species to policy improvement, specifically conservation programme year on year, that are caught. supporting the adoption of harvest which will drive awareness of MSC and control rules (HCR) in the Indian Ocean ASC as the sustainable seafood standard ▪ Support wider research initiatives that and adoption of measures to reduce amongst consumers. will ultimately improve environmental the catch of yellowfin tuna in line with sustainability. ▪ Raise public awareness of sustainable scientific guidance. seafood, MSC and the work that TUE is ▪ Monitor vessel flag states and status ▪ Actively advocate for the implementation doing to improve the sustainability of of vessels on the ISSF PVR during the of fishery improvement projects that will seafood supply chains. species assessments process. Action plans ultimately deliver MSC certification in will be developed to continue to improve the fisheries, countries, regions or oceans the status of the fleet in accordance with where TUE operates. best practice, ensuring that: o IMO numbers are present on required vessels; o purse seine vessels are on the PVR;

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 26 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 27 E. CONTRIBUTION TO WIDER CONSERVATION RESOURCES ▪ Complete a tour of the Coastal East Africa project with the Ghanaian fisheries Agnew DJ, Pearce J, Pramod G, Peatman T, Watson R, Beddington JR, et al. (2009) authorities and artisanal fishers. This Estimating the Worldwide Extent of Illegal Fishing. PLoS ONE 4(2): e4570. doi:10.1371/ will continue the pan-Africa exchange journal.pone.0004570 of information on best practice for small British Retail Consortium, Environmental Justice Foundation, WWF (2015) An advisory scale fisheries. note for the UK supply chain on how to avoid illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) ▪ Map and understand the pattern of fishery products Online: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/ejf_advisory_note_low_ artisanal tuna trade flows in Coastal East res_final_05022015.pdf Accessed 02/12/15. Africa to inform tuna fisheries reforms WWF (2015) Traceability Principles Online: http://assets.worldwildlife.org/ and stock sustainability efforts in CEA publications/796/files/original/WWF_Traceability_Principles_for_Wild-Caugh_Fish_ range states and the entire SWIO region. April_2015.pdf?1430410438 Accessed 02/12/15. ▪ Progress with remaining technical WWF (2014) WWF-John West Seafood Charter Online: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/ discussions (11 out of 24 articles downloads/john_west_seafood_charter_greyfish.pdf?_ga=1.205349392.1228946672.1443 of the Protocol) for SWIO states to 802689 Accessed 02/12/15. conclude the Minimum Terms and Conditions agreement on fisheries access WWF (2014) Port State Measures Agreement Online: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront. arrangements. net/downloads/fact_sheet_mozambique_ratifies_port_state_measure_agreement_ august_2014_final.pdfAccessed 02/12/15. ▪ Continue lobbying Kenya and Tanzania to ratify FAO Ports State Measures WWF (2015) Seafood Charter Online: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/ Agreement (the SWIO region is leading key_initiatives/?248190/WWF-Global-Seafood-Charter-a-guide-for-companies-towards- this process worldwide). sustainable-sourcing Accessed 02/12/15. ▪ Continue testing the new artisanal WWF (2014) Fisheries in transition Online: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/ fisheries data collection system in the smart_fishing/how_we_do_this/sustainable_markets__new/_fip_and_fcps/Accessed relevant landing sites in Kenya and 02/12/15. Tanzania. WWF (2014) FIP handbook: Guidelines for developing fisheries improvement projects ▪ Develop and implement capacity building Online: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/wwf_fip_final_web_version_1. packages based on the new data collection pdf Accessed 02/12/15. system. WWF (2014) Tuna procurement guidelines Online: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/ ▪ Study the economic value and downloads/tuna_procurement_guidelines_leaflet_v3.pdf Accessed 02/12/15. contribution of the Tanzanian artisanal tuna fishery in the national economies as well as livelihoods of the local fishing communities.

WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 28 WWF & Thai Union Europe partnership progress report 2016 29 BUREAU VERITAS OPINION work covers TUE’s UK and EU operations BUREAU VERITAS’ INDEPENDENT and relies upon the accurate collation of Based on our verification activities, no information at WWF’s UK office. EVALUATION STATEMENT evidence has come to our attention to suggest that: STATEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE, To the stakeholders of WWF-UK ▪ the reported performance against the IMPARTIALITY AND COMPETENCE partnership’s technical milestones do not provide a fair representation of the Bureau Veritas is an independent INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES BOUNDARY AND SCOPE progress under the Seafood Charter professional services company that partnership for the defined period; and specialises in quality, health, safety, social Bureau Veritas UK Ltd has been engaged by Reported performance against technical and environmental management advice WWF-UK (WWF) to provide independent milestones covers partner TUE’s operations ▪ there are significant omissions which and compliance with over 180 years history assessment of the status of the WWF and in the UK and EU. The information and could affect stakeholders’ ability to make in providing independent verification and Thai Union Europe (TUE) partnership’s data reviewed as part of this evaluation informed judgements on the partnership’s assurance services. Bureau Veritas has technical milestones for the first year of the engagement covers the progress of the reported performance against technical implemented a code of ethics across its partnership. These have been developed technical milestones for the reporting period: milestones. business which ensures that all our staff under the Seafood Charter signed by both 10 October 2014 – 9 October 2015. members maintain high standards of parties and are reported in the WWF- Such opinion is based on work undertaken integrity and independence. We believe our Thai Union Europe partnership progress Bureau Veritas assurance protocol has been and defined herein. Certain limitations and verification assignment did not raise any report 2016 (the Report) on pages 14-15 used to conduct this evaluation engagement, exclusions apply and are included below but conflicts of interest. Our team completing under the table entitled ‘TUE’s progress which is based on best practice assurance these do not detract from the verification the work has extensive knowledge and towards seafood charter commitments’. standards including AA1000AS, ISAE3000, opinion stated. experience of conducting verification over The objective of our work is to provide an and ISO14064-3. The verification and sustainability information and systems. evaluation of the level of achievement of evaluation was conducted to a limited level of LIMITATION AND EXCLUSIONS assurance. the selected technical milestones and of the Excluded from the scope of our work is: reliability and accuracy of the supporting performance data. METHODOLOGY • Any information not directly linked Bureau Veritas UK Ltd to the selected technical milestones In order to form its conclusions, Bureau contractually agreed between WWF and London, April 2016 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE Veritas conducted the activities outlined TUE; VERIFICATION PROVIDER below: • Activities outside the defined reporting The preparation of the Report is the joint • Interviews with key WWF personnel period; responsibility of WWF and TUE. The responsible for the management of the verifier has an obligation to stakeholders partnership with TUE and monitoring • Partnership strategy and position and users of the report and is exclusively progress against the technical milestones statements (including any expression of responsible for the content of this set out under the partnership. opinion, belief, aspiration, expectation or evaluation statement. WWF has provided aim); • Review of supporting source access to the documentation and data documentation for the progress statements This independent statement should not required to undertake the verification and selective data sets for the technical be relied upon to detect errors, omissions process and Bureau Veritas is confident that milestones (including: objectives, or misstatements that may exist within no material information has been withheld. procedures, action and monitoring plans, reported information of the partnership. presentations, internal communications, The scope of our work was defined and independent reports, etc.); agreed in consultation with WWF. Our

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